Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
I sigh, and that turns into a yawn. Liv’s bed is comfortable.
“Maybe you have the right idea. We should just sleep this off and play with your toy some other time. We have all the time in the world. Because I plan to marry you. Oops, I wasn’t supposed to say that. Don’t want to scare you away. Better stop talking.”
I frown.
“Talking. What a weird word.” I yawn again and turn on my side so I’m facing Liv. “Goodnight, baby. If you throw up, I’ll help. Love you.”
“Where are we going?” Liv asks as I drive us away from her office building after work, headed toward the freeway.
“We’re getting out of town for a couple of hours,” I reply with a grin. “I know it’s rainy and messy, but it’s not cold, and I need some fresh air.”
“Oh, God, are we hiking? I don’t have the shoes for that.”
“They’re in the backseat,” I reply with a grin. “Stella did me a solid. Don’t worry. We’re not doing anything too wild and adventurous. How was work today?”
“It was a Wednesday,” she says simply, and I frown over at her. She’s in a weird mood.
“What does that mean?”
“That it was just like any other Wednesday. Nothing much happening. Same old thing. You know?”
It’s been several days since we got pass-out drunk at the party. “Are you still hungover?”
That finally makes her smile. “No. Sorry. I had vendor issues today, so I’m not getting the very specific, very beautiful fabric that I wanted for Adam’s costume, and one of the girls on my team quit on me because I told her she couldn’t take a whole month off work to go find herself in Tibet. I mean, she’s a little eccentric, but she’s a damn good seamstress, and now I’m down a team member when I’m tackling two projects at once.”
“Tibet?”
“Right? I guess she wanted to climb Mount Everest and meet with the Dalai Lama or something.”
“Are those things in Tibet?” I wonder.
“I have no idea. The point is, I couldn’t spare her for a whole month, so that pissed her off, and she railed at me for not valuing everything that she brings to the table, and said I’m just a spoiled, rich brat and that the only reason I have my job is because I probably boned the boss.”
“Whoa.”
“And I said, ‘Who in their right mind bones their father?’ And then she got upset and said that I only have the job because of my dad. I told her to get the hell out. And she told me she quit.”
Silently, I reach for Liv’s hand and bring it to my mouth, kissing her tense fingers.
“You had a busy day.”
“Yeah.” She sighs and then takes a long, deep breath. “I hate people sometimes. I’m so much happier by myself with my sewing machine. Unfortunately, in order to do my job, I have to be around people. For the most part, it’s fine. I do have a good team. And yesterday, I would have said that Kelsang was a nice girl.”
“Kelsang?”
“That’s her Tibetan name,” Liv replies and rolls her eyes. “Her real name is Lindsey, but as of two months ago, we were only allowed to call her Kelsang.”
“Interesting.”
“That’s what I said. Anyway, maybe the fresh air will be good for me, too. Or I’ll get eaten by a bear and won’t have to worry about Kelsang anymore.”
“Are there bears in Seattle?”
“I don’t think so.”
Roughly thirty minutes after Olivia got into my car, I take the exit for Snoqualmie Falls.
“Oh, this is one of my favorite places,” she says with a smile.
“I haven’t been before, and I heard that it’s nice.”
“It is. Good call.”
Because of the later hour, it doesn’t take long to find parking, and then after she changes into sneakers, Liv and I are walking hand in hand over a footbridge, past a lodge, to where the water flows in a violent rush.
The air is full of mist from the water and the falling rain, and Olivia and I are the only two standing on the wooden walkway, looking down on the falls.
I take in a long breath and smile down at Liv. “Yeah, this was a good call.”
“Excellent call,” she agrees and leans against me. “Sorry I was so pissy when you picked me up.”
“You had a shitty day.” I kiss the top of her head. “I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s not the end of the world. This helps a lot. There’s a restaurant in Snoqualmie that’s great. Are you interested in grabbing dinner?”
“Hell, yes. Let’s do it.”
The steakhouse Liv recommends is great. The atmosphere is casual, and the food is fantastic.
“Best steak in Washington,” Liv says as she wipes her mouth with her napkin. “And I haven’t been here in years. Did you like it?”
“Did you see the size of that ribeye? What’s not to like?”